Man ejected, dies in Ascension crash

ASCENSION - A man died early this morning after his SUV rolled over on a winding road in Ascension Parish. It happened on Highway 22 in Ascension just west of Highway 16.

"Did our best efforts, everything we could to save the young man," said Assistant Sorrento Fire Chief William Eddy. "Sorry he didn't make it."

Accident scene markers show where 37-year-old Robert Falcon Jr. died after he was thrown from his GMC Yukon around 3 a.m. Monday. State police said the Maurepas resident overcorrected while navigating a bend in the road. His SUV flipped over and tossed him into a nearby thicket of trees.

"When ejected, he landed in the treetops about 12 to 15 feet off the ground," said Eddy. "We had to use a high angle rope rescue to get him down."

The rescue was unusual for first responders, having to rescue Falcon from the trees that were surrounded by swamp land.

"Had to use ropes and ladders to rig slings to free him," Eddy said. "Cut some limbs. [It] was a makeshift effort. Something I'm not used to doing, especially in auto accidents."

Debris lined the roadway from Falcon's vehicle. Police said he was not wearing his seatbelt when he was ejected. The area is obviously dangerous for drivers, as two other memorial scenes are kept up in the exact same location where Falcon died.